The author of the songwriter and singer Montas Strūbergas, or simply Montas’ new studio album, is the guitarist of the group “The Other Side” and several other projects. Jānis Čubars
“At the beginning of the album, I had imagined it differently, but at the beginning of 2021, radical changes took place in my life, and with them new songs appeared, the album was filled with a different meaning and form,” explains Monta.
It should be reminded that Monta’s debut mini-album “The Second She” was released at the end of 2020, but “Planet You” is a stylistically different work – although it can be placed in the field of pop music, it is more mature, mature, more serious and much deeper.
In total, the album includes 11 songs, some of which have already been heard on radio stations and / or seen on YouTube (“We Want Too Much”, “Free in Your World”, “People Lie”). The album has been released by “microphones”, which already shows something.
I am grateful to Guntars Račs and MicRec for supporting my idea of working with Jānis Čubars, who made me confident with the first song that he would be the producer of my entire album. The collaboration with Jānis was surprisingly easy, organic and it was never difficult to agree on anything. He is one of those studio producers who allows the creative wave to experiment in the studio. “Planet You” is our joint project. Within the framework of the album, I will look at the sharpness of life and situations, I will also allow you to dream and mourn a little romantically, and at the end of it you will experience an uplifting hope, ”says Monta.
The design of the album was created by the artist Sabīne Moore or a peculiar “flower musician” Waterflower, who in 2021 received two nominations in the Latvian Music Record of the Year Award “Golden Microphone”, including for the design of her own album “Balta gaisma”. “What a talented soul!” about Sabine excites Monta. The colors of the album are no coincidence, they were all around me when the album’s title track “Planet You” was made, and they continued to inspire me, creating other songs as well. I knew clearly what this cap would look like, and Sabine was able to materialize it. ”
PAR. Monta herself is the author of her own music and lyrics – it just brings respect. She has a very pleasant voice timbre, the songs are nice and likeable, and Monta, by her own knowledge, makes them leave a light mood and a light emotional aftertaste. It is felt that Monta loves the stage from the heart, and the listeners cannot underestimate this positivism. The very beautiful surrendered songs “Must Be Born Again” and “Part of Me” (especially if you know the context of its story), in the “live” the lyrical “My Universe” is captured for the first time, the “Two Rivers” elegantly sounds “We want too much” brings in the general mood, and Chubar’s talent as a guitarist can also be expressed in the last two pieces. An extra dot about the fact that the album is also available in a tangible CD format, a minus to the fact that the disc is without a booklet with lyrics.
AGAINST. On Monday night at the club “St. While listening to the album’s small concert, Black & Rock Cafe Urban Stage, the viewer thought that it would be difficult to imagine at least one argument for attending a concert in Montas. Yes, you might have an idea “should you go to club X. who is playing there today? Oh, Monta, yes, then you can go, “but there could hardly be a question” where is Monta speaking today? Oh, club X., we’re definitely going! ” It’s also hard to imagine who her audience will be, excluding friends, relatives and acquaintances. Although the singer said in her “stories”, if someone wants to hear songs about flowers and bunnies (at least that was the idea), then she will have to choose other artists, because she is unfamiliar with such topics, but the well-groomed “suffering image” is also valid only in moderation. doses, but in too high a dose it is depressing. Also about the producer’s work – should “People Lie” be released as an introductory (and therefore pulling) piece of the album in March 2021, no matter how autobiographical it was ?!
In the already mentioned presentation event, the creative tandem of Jānis and Montas stated that concerts are currently being considered, and admitted that it will not be so easy to find a suitable place and audience, because such music could fit in small concert venues where people would really listen to it. , not just sip drinks or eat to music, not to mention giant halls, open – air stages and city festivities. But Monta expressed hopes that her music already has such a “Planet for It” – good luck finding it!
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